My Favourite Cousin Essay
Hello Readers! This post features My Favourite Cousin Essay
One of the best things I love about my cousin Susannah is her wit. She’s exactly the opposite of me, yet she knows how to make me laugh, and keep me in good spirits. Moreover, she always has a couple of fascinating tales to narrate to my sisters and me whenever she is visiting.
Sometimes she talks about the ghosts that she had encountered, apparently in the backyard of her friend’s home. All those things that she narrates sound so spooky at times that I can’t sleep peacefully at night for almost a week after her visits.
The last time she visited, she told us how the headmistress of her school eloped with a guy half her age! My mother, however, has always been reluctant to take Susannah seriously, for most of the time she suspects that the girl is telling a bunch of lies.
Also, my mom thinks that Susannah is both silly and crazy! My brother remarks that the girl is completely insane! Our father, on the other hand, has always been fond of her and has always awaited her arrival with bated breath. This is the kind of contradictory effect that this favourite cousin of mine has had on my family members. Yet, about one thing I’ve never had any doubt. Everybody at home adored her, no matter what she said or did.
One afternoon, Susannah showed up with her new camping equipment. She invited me to accompany her during on overnight stay in the woods which were a kilometer away from our house. Mother didn’t relish the idea even a little bit, primarily because I had never camped in the woods before.
She said that the question of staying there at night certainly did not arise. However, dad was far more optimistic about the outdoor adventure, and so it was chiefly due to his permission and support that I was finally able to accompany my cousin on this fun outing.
On the evening before our departure, dad got us the groceries and other essential supplies that we would need. I borrowed my brother’s camping gear and he was definitely not overly thrilled about it. He repeatedly reminded me to take care of it well, for he’d invested a fortune from his pocket money to buy it in the first place. Honestly, it was a blessing to discover that he was eventually willing to part with it for a day.
It was drizzling when dad dropped Susannah and me in front of a narrow path that led into the woods. I was a trifle disappointed to see my dad’s car disappear behind the curved road, and for the first time I realized that this outing might not turn out to be a very pleasing experience to us, for the two of us girls were completely alone, almost in the middle of nowhere, with the prospect of a heavy downpour looming larger with every passing minute.
My cousin probably sensed my nervousness, for she smiled at me from beneath her hooded raincoat and extended her hand to touch mine. The clinging of her fingers to mine made me feel better. We looked around us to pick up some fallen branches of trees which we could use for support as we walked deeper into the woods.
Susannah has always been an amazing videographer. What is even more striking about her passion was that she loves to film when it rains. I watched totally mesmerized as my beloved cousin selected a spot to set up the camp, fixed her set of six tripods in different locations, with three inside the white tent and the other three outside. We cooked vegetables and noodles, boiled eggs, fried chicken breasts and stirred up some tomato soup as well. The long hike had drained quite a bit of our energy, and we were glad to devour the warm food.
I noticed Susannah getting up several times in the course of the evening to light the lamps, adjust the positions of the tripods that were holding the cameras to film us as we went about doing our tasks. Susannah was going to upload her first camping video on her YouTube channel, and I was quite excited about it. For the first time in my live, I was going to get online across an international audience, and the prospect thrilled me endlessly!
After that first camping trip with my cousin, we went out on many more together. Susannah taught me how to shoot a good photograph and also to film a video in an interesting way. I learnt the art of storytelling from her. Bird watching, making hunting gear and going on fishing expeditions became my new hobbies. More than anything else, in her presence, I experienced the joys of nature like I’d never done before.
My cousin Susannah has always been a bright, vivacious and outgoing girl. From her I learnt to overcome my shyness, my awkward feelings and inhibitions. Life became pleasanter and better due to her presence in our family. We have taken multiple joy rides on her open Jeep, have explored the farms nearby and visited people in their rural settings, dined with them, learnt their traditions and customs, and returned home with some of the most awesome memories.
Today, we cousins live across two different continents. I continue to live in India while Susannah lives in New York. Also, I decided to pursue a career in fashion designing in my own country while Susannah opted to become an investment banker in the United States. Physically, we are miles apart, but mentally and emotionally we are always together.
Every evening, after my day’s work is done, I eagerly wait for my cousin to call me. We video chat for ten or fifteen minutes before Susannah gets ready for work. My online interactions with her are fun-filled and relaxing. I feel the weight of the entire world easing from my shoulders every time I see her face popping up on the screen of my phone.
Sometimes, as I sit down to reflect upon my twenty-five years old relationship with Susannah, I cannot help wondering how my life and personality would have shaped up if this wonderful cousin of mine had not been present to motivate me. Over the years, I’ve learnt so many positive things from her. The most valuable thing that I have learnt from this beloved cousin of mine is kindness.
Susannah is such a gentle and caring soul that her frequent visits to our home have influenced not only me but my parents and siblings as well. We have all evolved into much softer and better versions of ourselves due to our regular meetings with this precious girl. May she spread her light wherever she goes.
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